The Fourth Side
by Zamphira
Summary: This is the story following on about a two decades after Kaeleer's Heart in the 'Dream's Made Flesh' book. Its about Shaitara, Saetan's daughter. For more read it, and review!
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Characters except Shaitara, Shai, and Tara. I also own the general plot.  
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_Chapter 1_

"Jaenelle, are you almost ready to head down?" asked Daemon from the outside of the door to the bathroom.

"Why don't you head down without me? I'll be a little bit longer."

"Alright, I'll see you down there, but if you need anything call me."

As Daemon was walking away Jaenelle was thinking, _Why am I so nervous to go down there, it's just another party. I look like myself, but why am I so nervous? Maybe I should call in the Protectorate, she always said to when I was feeling strange. Yes, that's what I'll do, then she'll be paying attention and I won't feel so nervous…or nauseous._

Jaenelle speaks on a black distaff thread, **Shaitara**

**Yes, my Queen?** came the response.

**I need you to keep an eye on my surroundings tonight, something doesn't feel right.**

**As you wish, enjoy your party.**

_I feel better already_, thought Jaenelle as she began heading downstairs where her First and Second Circles were gathering for the first time since she had saved the Realms from Hekatah.

Meanwhile, Shaitara was not so comforted. _What has her so spooked that she called me? Maybe I should get over there to keep a better eye on her in case there is something They can't take care of._ With that she caught the Black Wind towards the Hall, all the while thinking what in Mother Night's name was scaring Jaenelle so bad that she thought to contact her Protectorate. Jaenelle NEVER called in the big guns unless she was terrified, _Oh well, won't know until I get there…I wonder…_ With that Shaitara tried something Jaenelle had taught her long ago, how to use a person as a homing beacon instead of riding on the prearranged Winds.

Back at the party, Daemon was talking to Khardeen and Aaron when he saw Jaenelle as she began descending the stairs. _She is gorgeous, and she is Mine._

Jaenelle saw him right before she reached the bottom of the staircase and started working her way towards him, pausing now and then to greet old friends and some of their children. When she reaches his side, she tucks in under his arm for support as if she were afraid of something. **Jaenelle, sweetheart, are you alright?** he asked on a black spear to distaff thread.

**Yes, just a little shaky. I just don't feel up to snuff, maybe because of Lucivar coming back and his work out this morning.**

**Ok.** he says as he tries to hold her a little closer to him. Suddenly, he feels a steady tug from his middle. **Father, do you feel something?**

**Like what?** asked Saetan.

**Like someone is pulling on your insides?**

**Not really, no more than usual when I am worried.**

**Alright, probably just nerves on my part too, just keep an eye out.**

**As if I weren't already doing so**. came the pithy reply.

Just then, Jaenelle asked, "Do you think we could go sit down? I'm feeling more than a little short right now," she said as she looked up the half-foot and more to Khardeen, Aaron and Daemon.

Shaitara put up psychic and sight shields before she dropped from subspace, just as Daemon was helping Jaenelle to her seat. She had to sidestep quickly and carefully to make sure she wasn't felt by anyone. _Shit, I thought she said this was a party, not a gathering of all the Queens and Warlord Princes of Kaeleer_. **Jaenelle, don't react. I'm here, just relax and enjoy whatever this is.**

**Thank you, Shaitara. Are you going to introduce yourself to the family afterwards?**

**Hopefully not.**

**As you wish.**

"Jaenelle? What's the matter?" asked Khardeen. "Were you talking to someone?"

"Yes, sorry for being rude. They needed to tell me something before I found out the hard way."

"Ah, well then. How have you been since you guys last came to visit?"

"Fairly well, still enjoying being married," said Daemon to the response of laughter from the entire group. Suddenly, they heard a scream from across the room. Everyone at the table stood up, as Shaitara still shielded walked around to stand in front of all of them. "What's the problem?" crooned Daemon softly as he let the cold rage envelope him.

Unexpectedly a crossbow bolt was shot straight at Jaenelle, Daemon dove in front of her expecting to feel the pain of the bolt entering his flesh. The pain never came, Daemon turned around to see a cloaked and hooded figure with their arm out holding the crossbow bolt in their hand. Daemon looked closer at that hand, it was the same shade of light brown as his with the same black-tinted nails that adorned his hands.

"Noooo. You will pay for that!" shouted a male voice from across the room followed by running footsteps that got louder as the assailant came closer. The cloaked figure threw back its hood and removed its cloak, revealing a slender woman with a black French braid that ended about her waist. She was wearing skin-tight black leather trousers and a black leather top that was little more than a bra supporting what appeared to be an ample bosom. She was also wearing a belt with two swords, two whips, and several daggers attached to it. She was shorter than the males near by but taller than Jaenelle and the other Queens. While the assailant was still more than halfway across the room, she grabbed her cloak as it was falling and laid it neatly across a chair-back near by. Then she drew her swords while saying, "You ok, Jaenelle?"

"Yes, stop them now."

"With pleasure, my Queen." Once she said this she started running towards the attacker. When she reached a point where there were fewer possible casualties she stopped and took a fighting stance, similar to the one Lucivar favors but different as she was fighting with two weapons instead of one.

As the man neared her, he pulled up his crossbow again and shot directly at her heart. The bolt bounced harmlessly off of a protective barrier she had erected about half an inch off of her skin. She just looked at him as his momentum proceeded to bring him within range of her swords. When he reached that point she spun around swinging her swords and decapitated him. She then sheathed both swords and strutted over to his corpse her boots, which were hidden by the length of her pants, giving off the ringing notes of stilettos. She then knelt next to the body and passed her hands over it and saying something in the Old Tongue. He immediately made the Transition to demon-dead. As he was reawakening she grabbed his head and walked over to the table, keeping a bucket-like shield underneath the severed neck to prevent blood from dripping onto the tiled floor. She then grabbed her cloak in the other hand and walked back towards his body. Then past it, and as she past it, the body began to float and follow her like a well-trained pup. She managed to reach the front door before Daemon reacted enough to summon the Hall's defenses. When the unknown woman reached the door and tried the handle, she was unable to open the door. The room suddenly went freezing cold and ice raced up the mirrors and windows, across the floor and tables, and up the Ladies' skirts all from one central location, the front doors.

The temperature continued to drop and the room began to spiral downwards, or rather they all felt like they were spiraling downwards. This continued until the windows exploded outwards and the warm air from outside rushed in to meet the room's occupants. Suddenly Jaenelle walked around her wall of men and towards the front doors and the woman staring at them.

When she reached the woman she whispered, "Shaitara…Shaitara, none of them are going to hurt you or me. Leash it, Princess. They don't deserve your rage, he does."

"Ah, but which male are you speaking of, my Lady? The one floating behind me? One of my brothers? My Father? Which male do you speak of, Jaenelle, because from where I'm standing they ALL are beginning to deserve this," crooned Shaitara. She then turned away from the front doors and raising her voice slightly so as to be heard throughout the entrance hall she said, "Another's rage should not knock you men from the killing edge." With that she turned back around and whispered to Jaenelle, "No one will die tonight save the one I hold, you needn't worry. I just need some time." Upon finishing speaking she turned away from Jaenelle and towards the doors, and walked right through the doors and the Black Shield that had been created around the Hall and out into the night.

Jaenelle put her hand up to the wood of the front doors and sighed. Then she turned around and began heading back to where the First Circle was beginning to gather in order to discuss this strange young woman. When she got there she was hit with a barrage of questions…"Who is she?" "What is she?" "How come I can't get a reading on her?" They went on and on until Jaenelle held up her hand for silence.

"Just wait until she returns, then you may get some of your answers." With that she began walking away towards the front doors when they reopened admitting the young woman again. Daemon, Lucivar, and Saetan began walking up behind Jaenelle.

**Must you bring them?** queried Shaitara.

**They need to know I'm safe.** Jaenelle responded. To which Shaitara's only response was a huff and the jutting out of one hip as she shifted her weight and began to pick at her long black fingernails.

When Jaenelle reached Shaitara she reached out to shake hands with her. Shaitara pulled her into a big bear hug, lifting her up and spinning Jaenelle around.

"…down. Put Me DOWN!" shouted Jaenelle.

"Have to get my hugs when I can before these three try to stop me," she said nodding towards Saetan, Daemon, and Lucivar.

"Who are you?" crooned Daemon.

"Hell freeze over while I wasn't looking, Sadi?"

"You little…" started Lucivar as Saetan also began saying, "You want to see?"

"No, not really Saetan. I don't want to see. Jaenelle, tell them to back off…or I will teach them to." Lucivar called in his Eyrien war blade.

All Shaitara did was look at her nails. Then the three of them noticed as she lowered her hands back down that each of her fingers had glistening drops falling from them. They all took a step back.

"Nice boyos, I see you did train them." she said and then she changed to the Old Tongue. "If you want them to know who I am fine, but Mother Night will sire another child before I tell them." Then she walked away towards the buffet table.

"Alright witch-child, you going to tell us or is Mother Night going to sire another child?" asked Saetan.

"She is Shaitara SaDiablo and your true daughter, Papa. I can't explain anymore than that because I don't know anymore that I can tell you without having to fight her." Jaenelle then spun on her heel and headed towards the window where Shaitara was standing and looking out on the front lawn and eating a leg of chicken.

As Jaenelle approached Shaitara put the chicken back on her plate and set the plate on the table nearby. She put her arms around Jaenelle and continued looking out on the front lawn. **Shai, why don't you want them to know who you are?**

**Because, I don't want the prophecy that involves them to come true.**

**And it is?**

**That I open the doorway from death back to life for certain individuals and fall in love with one.**

**That doesn't sound so bad, Shai. I mean I'm in love with your brother and nothing bad has come of it in the years we have been married.**

**Really? What about the children you are carrying in your womb? I can sense that one of them is like me. You don't know what it is like being a Warlord Princess.**

"What?" asked Jaenelle, so shocked that anyone else had any inkling that she was pregnant, she had just thought it was possible earlier that evening.

"Don't play stupid Jaenelle, it doesn't suit you. Thank you for helping me to calm down, I can see that everyone here would give their life to protect you so I don't see why I was needed."

"You were needed because I asked you to come!" shouted Jaenelle. This caused Shaitara to form what appeared to be Eyrien wings out of her back with growing solidity.

"And I don't see why you needed to call in your Protectorate when all you wanted was moral support, for the sake of all the Darkness you are married to my twin! And you have my other twin right there with him as well as my father! Don't give me this crap about needing me, you haven't needed me in ten years." exclaimed Shaitara. "What in the name of Mother Night was so fucking dangerous that you had to call in a Sovereign Black Widow Warlord Princess? Tell me that." By this point the entire room is looking at them shocked that anyone in Jaenelle's service would speak to her like that except Lucivar and Andulvar. "Tell me why you risked your entire court's lives on the fact that I made you feel safer than you already were."

"TELL ME, JAENELLE!" Shaitara growled when Jaenelle refused to answer.

"Alright, I'll tell you. I called in my Protectorate because I was frightened. There have been very few times when I have been well and truly frightened and you were the only person here who was able to make me feel safe again. I'm sorry I wanted that, but with wearing Twilight's Dawn I don't have the resources I once did to protect myself and those around me. And now that I am pregnant…" Jaenelle's voice drifts away as she begins to cry uncontrollably. She takes one more look at Shaitara before running towards the stairs, once she made it to the top all of the other people in the hall turn on Shaitara.

"So I take it you all want to eat my liver? Too bad," she says before all motion in the hall ceases and Shaitara sprints after Jaenelle. Five minutes later they all can move again.

Lucivar is the first one to recover his voice. "I guess we have another sister after all."

"Jaenelle's going to have a baby!" shouted Daemon as he starts to dance towards the stairs to go up and see his wife.

"And all Hell has broken loose again," states Saetan.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

Daemon is jogging down the hallway to the room he has shared with Jaenelle for the past 12 years or so. As he approaches it he hears some sort of music drifting towards him, two voices singing in perfect harmony and or countermelody. One he recognizes as Jaenelle's soaring soprano, the other a rich and full-bodied alto. As he gets closer he begins to recognize what they are singing…witchsong. It was a song that told of an unspeakable longing from a great distance and the joy of being reunited again. When he reached the door he tried to turn the handle, only to find that it had been physically locked.

_Right, there is another way into this room,_ he thought before trying to pass through the door. He managed to get through about half an inch before he met with a shield that he could not pass through, even using his Jewels. _What in Mother Night's name?_ He tried the handle again, still locked but as he tried to pass through the door again he was able to pass through into his room and saw Jaenelle standing near the window with her back to him and Shaitara facing him. As he passed into the room he saw Shaitara crouch and then felt a blinding pain in the left side of his face. Then he saw nothing.

"Daemon!" shouted Jaenelle as she heard him hit the ground. "I hope you have a reason for whipping my husband's face, Princess," she said coldly.

"He should know better than to sneak up on me. I am after all a mixture of him and Lucivar. Would you sneak up on Lucivar?" After she got the negative response from Jaenelle. "Any way he should also have heeded my warnings for solitude with my queen."

"Where did you place these markers, Shai?"

"At the ends of the hallways."

"I was right outside the door," came the response from Daemon lying on the floor. He opened his eyes to see Jaenelle and himself leaning over him. _No that can't be me. Even I'm not that feminine, am I?_ "Who are you?"

"I am Shaitara SaDiablo. Are you alright?"

"Other than having my face whipped?"

"Yes, Prince."

"Just dandy."

"You know what, had you said something before coming in none of this would have happened. I'm an assassin first and foremost, brother. Would you sneak up on Surreal or Lucivar when they are on the job?"

"No…"

"Exactly. Now if you don't mind, I might be able to heal that enough for you to be able to stand up," she interrupted.

"No I think I would rather Jaenelle…"

"Daemon, I can't heal you. I might be pregnant."

"Then call Karla or Gabrielle up here."

"Do you really want to deal with either of their tempers right now?" enquired Jaenelle.

"Alright go ahead and do the damn healing Miss SaDiablo."

"Princess SaDiablo, Prince Sadi, Princess SaDiablo," she corrected him.

"Fine, Princess. Will you heal my face now?"

"Yes, especially since we need to preserve its resemblance to my own," she said with a smile. She then hovered her hands over his face for a few seconds. He sat up slowly, Shaitara helped him to stand up. He wavered a little, at which point he realized that while she was quite a bit taller than Jaenelle she was still about half a foot shorter than him, because when he leaned on her she used her arms to support him rather than resting him against her body.

"I think I can walk on my own now, thank you."

"As you wish."

"Shaitara, where did you learn healing craft? He looks exactly like he did before."

"I didn't. I know certain healing spells that were useful when I was younger to help heal my friends."

"Where were you when you were younger that healing spells that prevent scarring were needed?"

"The slave pens of Lanzo SaDiablo. Dorothea had her toy boys of which you were a member, Lanzo had his pretty girls of which I was a member."

"But how did they get a hold of you, father didn't even know you existed."

"When Tersa had me, she gave me to a young widow who had recently miscarried. Her name was Sara, she raised me. I thought she was my mother until she was summoned before Dorothea and asked to bring me. By that point I had already gone through my birthright ceremony and learned how to hide my psychic scent. When we arrived you were lounging on a pillow at Dorothea's feet, we were told to walk up to the bottom of the dais and pay our homage. Dorothea recognized me by my face, which is so similar to your own. She suggested in Sara's mind that I needed court 'training' and that her husband would be happy to give it to me. Or something to that effect because at the moment that the training was suggested Lanzo and one of his cronies had come up on either side of me. Sara had no choice but to accept or watch me die. So I went into Lanzo's pretties, I learned enough healing craft to prevent scarring and to heal whatever damage was done by the Ring of Obedience. After 20 years of them trying to get into my pants and not succeeding they tried to have Dorothea break me, I gave her a scar worth remembering…but while I was trying to escape I saw you tied up in a corner of the room. You who had been the only one to ever try and help me. They caught me and…the less spoke of it the better. Eventually however, I escaped I was able to disguise myself to enter various training camps, Eyrien, Tacean, even one in Dena Nehele, before Lia died. Now there was a Queen…anyway I ended up in Chaillot in time to meet a very extraordinary witch, Witch in fact. And the rest as they say is history. I'm sorry I seem to have rambled on quite a bit, needless to say the past can shape who you are. Jaenelle, I need to collect a few things before I can do what we were talking about before. Oh, and the signs are dissolved. You can have your wife back now, Daemon." Upon saying this Shaitara walked out of the room and towards the landing pad for the Winds to collect her things.

"Jaenelle, who is she? I mean she acts as though she should be the one in charge of everything, but she doesn't even wear Jewels or have a psychic scent."

"Hiding things like that isn't that hard to accomplish especially when they wear darker Jewels than those around them. Let's go back to the party, I want to have some more fun before she gets back and all."

"Wait a minute first, how does my face look?"

"Perfect as usual," she said as she turned away to walk out the door again.

"Another thing," he said before he twirled her back into his arms and kissed the sense out of her.

"Maybe we can go back a little later…" she trailed off as she led him towards their bedroom.


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

"Who was she, Lucivar? I mean come on, I'm in the business of knowing who is the best and even I had never heard of a Shaitara SaDiablo," said Surreal. As Surreal was saying this Beale opened the front door to admit Shaitara, who was more suitably dressed for public. She was carrying a small suitcase.

"Just because you have not heard my real name does not mean that you have never heard of me, Surreal."

"I know that voice," Surreal said as she spun around. "Abby! What are you doing here?"

"My family lives here. I am Shaitara SaDiablo. And to think after all those years I spent training you on the art of being a female assassin after my brother finished with you…you disappoint me. You should have recognized me from my fighting style, I taught you to use the same."

"No, you didn't. You were only on your way to the Tacean training camp then, now I think you have finished, Sugar."

"Firstly, I have finished. Secondly, I have told you not to call me Sugar ever again. And thirdly, yes I did use the same fighting style then because Tacean fighting is entirely mental. Anyway, I must be going if I am to find out where I'm living for the next couple of days. I'll see you at breakfast, Surreal. And since you are here maybe we should brush up on your skills in the morning, meet me at dawn, before breakfast please you know how you are about those stomach hits." Then Shaitara turned back towards Beale in the hope of finding a bed for the night.

"Sorry, but Lucivar here already has the claim on before breakfast practice."

"Then I will be your sparring partner," Shaitara said over her shoulder. "Oh, and don't try to run away again. As you know I will find you and I will be ticked off that you ran." Then Shaitara began climbing the stairs in the direction of the family wing following Beale.

"Mother Night. I thought I had finally gotten the easy end of the stick."

"What do you mean?" asked Lucivar.

"You know how hard everyone works when they are sparring with you?"

"Yeah…but what does that have to do…"

"You're nothing compared to her, Sugar. And even then she doesn't work up a sweat. You saw what she was wearing earlier?" She waited until she got the affirmative from him and continued, "well let's just say that she will always wear something similar when she has to fight in any manner. And if she's worried about a fight she will wear nothing at all save her belt, fully-loaded of course. I've never seen that of course, just heard her tell a story about when she did that. Anyway, it looks like you might get a chance to fight her tomorrow if you want because I will not be able to work with her for very long at all."

"Hmm. I may have to challenge her to get her to respond."

"Just be careful that you are dealing with Shaitara or Shai, when you do that. Tara does not take kindly to that sort of thing. Then again she's Eyrien and your twin so…"

"Huh?"

"Never mind I would never be able to explain it. Just wait until you see them, then you will understand. Also, if you want to try to understand a little more before then you might try asking Geoffrey for Legends of the Blood and History of Askavi. Both of them mention Warlord Princesses, Legends explains what they are and their particular quirks. History of Askavi talks about Heathiaran, the Black Jeweled Warlord Princess. It is speculated that she served in the capacity of Protectorate for Cassandra when your father was her Consort."

"I really didn't think that a Warlord Princess was real."

"Oh yes, at least according to Geoffrey and Draca they are."

"Lucivar! Your daughter has managed to get herself stuck up in the chandelier," shouted Marian.

"Ok…and what do you want me to do about it? Daemonar could go up there and get her."

"No, he is out walking with Titianna. You go up there and get her free again."

"Yes, Marian." As she walked away he just watched her. Then, he said, "Mother Night, I wonder what has her knickers in a twist today."

"Lucivar, maybe you should go get Katarin down from the chandelier, the children are beginning to look up her skirt."

"Alright, alright," he said along with making a placating gesture towards her before he took off flying towards the chandelier.

**Abby?** asked Surreal as she reached for the mind that had taught her so much and which she respected as she did few others.

**Yes, witchling?**

**Why are you here?**

Surreal heard a mental sigh. **The Lady I am serving asked me to keep an eye out and I didn't have the heart to tell her no. Also she doesn't tend to ask me to look out unless something is really worrying her. As such, I took it upon myself to come here so that I didn't have to travel to protect my Queen.**

**I see. So you serve Jaenelle in addition to Saetan, Lucivar, and Daemon.**

**Yes, I do. Is that a problem?**

**No, I just thought you didn't serve anyone. I mean you are a woman and men are trained to serve, not women.**

**Surreal, you are forgetting a rudimentary fact. I am a Warlord Princess. So in effect I am a female Warlord Prince. At the most basic definition, of course.**

**Of course. So, at a higher level of thinking what are you really?**

**Do you really want to know?** came the thought along with feelings of rage and fear of rejection.

**Yes, I do.**

**Fine. I am a Warlord Princess Sovereign Black Widow. Firstly lets handle the Warlord Princess part. Being a Warlord Princess means that I have the mind and power of a Queen but also the wish…no that's not right the need to serve. I also have the rage and temper of a Warlord Prince. I am as they say passionately violent and violently passionate. So basically I have the power of a Queen paired with the characteristics of a Warlord Prince.**

**Ok, I can understand that. But then why does Tara exist?**

**One characteristic that Warlord Princesses always have is a dual personality. Most of the time this is within the same body, but because of my father being who he is he transferred me between both Luthvian's womb and Tersa's. Though I was originally from Tersa's, that's why I am as strong as I am…**

**But I've never seen you wear your Jewels,** interrupted Surreal as she began walking towards the family wing where she could sense Shaitara's presence.

**I wear Jewels, believe me I wear Jewels. But because of Dorothea and Hekatah, I can't physically wear them for very long. Anyway, we are getting way off of the subject here. So I spent time in both wombs with Lucivar and Daemon. Though originally I was Daemon's twin, I spent enough time in both wombs for my second personality to become Eyrien and Lucivar's twin. Complicated I know. Shaitara is the culmination of both Shai and Tara. Tara being a Queen and that half of a Warlord Princess. Shai is the Warlord Prince equivalent. Now a Sovereign Black Widow. You know what a Black Widow is?**

**Yes.**

**Ok, imagine a Black Widow 10 times more powerful than that. A normal Black Widow handles dreams and tangled webs and has a single venom sac in their right ring finger, the one connected to their Jewels, whether they wear them or not. A Sovereign Black Widow has ten venom sacs, one in each finger. Wait technically that's not true they have a venom sac that sits within their entire hand and then certain fingers have another sac that contain other poisons or cures. It is rumored that the first Black Widow as you know them was the woman who was hit by a scale that fell off of a Sovereign Black Widow Dragon a little while before Draca disposed of her scales to protect the power of her race. Another fact rumored to be true, though I have never tested it is that they can 'unbreak' someone and that they can heal virtually any wound, no matter how long ago it occurred or whether there are parts missing, be these wounds in the mind or of the body.**

**Mother Night. No wonder you're a scary fucker.**

**Hmph.**

**No really, I think you scared almost everyone here when you just showed up from no where and then walked right through a Black shield that Daemon created.** Just as Surreal finished that thought she came to the door behind which Shaitara was hiding and knocked on the door.

"Go away," came the reply.

"Abby, come on its me. I think we should talk."

"No," came the reply before there was a whooshing sound and another voice very similar to Shaitara's joined the argument.

"Shai, listen to her. You have always insisted that you need to handle everything by yourself. Maybe you should let just a few people into your heart and mind."

"Go. Away. Tara."

"No, you may not be willing to let other people in but I'm not. I'm going down to that party with Surreal. I want to know my brothers and father, you may not want to but if you are going to keep me from meeting them then you are going to have to call in your Jewels to stop me."

"Bitch. You know why I can't do that."

"Yes I do. But that doesn't mean that you have to hide away from the world. That's what they wanted, that and to humiliate you but you can't let them win that battle. Fight back, Shai. Fight with everything that you are. Now are you coming to the party with me?"

"Fine, just let me get dressed. And you had better not be expecting me to talk to them."

"Nope, not at all."

A few minutes later a woman opened the door. She looked like Shaitara when her wings were solid. She was wearing a low cut tight fitting blood red, almost black, dress with a loose falling skirt that brushed the ground. Her black hair was ornately wound at the back of her head with a gold chain circlet going around the top of her head that ended in a small black chip. Also centered between her breasts was a gold chain necklace holding what appeared to be a Black Jewel.

"Abby, I thought you couldn't wear your Jewels."

"I can't," came a sound from behind the winged woman. "Tara, get out of the doorway. I hate being trapped." To which the winged woman just laughed and moved to one side revealing Shai who was now wearing a dress that was darker than black, almost Ebony and her hair twisted up behind her head. The dress hugged her body like a second skin revealing generous curves, toned arms that were bare. The dress was cut low enough that it revealed enough of her chest to make men drool but still be tasteful. There was a slit up one side to just above her knee that opened and revealed her leg as she walked. The dress had a skirt that just brushed the floor and it also had no back to it as Surreal saw when she began following Shai as she walked out of the room. Surreal also saw something she had never noticed before, a tattoo of a twisting and curling dragon with wings that was surrounding a deep red rose as if protecting it.

"I take it you have never seen her interpretation of her and Jaenelle's relationship," came a voice from behind her.

"No Tara, I never had. Does she really see herself as a dragon?"

"Yes and No. If you have never seen just her in a fight without me then you don't know why I say that. Together we are fatal. Separate I'm fatal, she is downright lethal."

"Why do you make the distinguishment like that? I mean you are both dangerous…"

"People who meet up with just me will almost surely die. People who meet up with her…they may or may not die but they will always be different people after they have tangled with her. She is deadly, she will fuck with your mind until there is nothing left but a drooling husk that still knows what it once was. And that is without breaking you, she will just make it so that you don't know how to reach your power again."

"If you two are done talking about me can we please get going?" came the voice from up ahead.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4_

"Katarin, why don't you head up to bed with your sister," said Marian as she stared at her two youngest daughters, Luthvian and Katarin.

"But Mommy, I want to stay and watch the party. Please can I stay…pllleeeeeaasee," begged Katarin.

"No, you have already terrified enough people for one day. Head on up the stairs to your room, young Lady," stated Lucivar.

"But Daddy…"

"No buts, Katarin. Go up to bed with Luthvian. Now." Both Katarin and Luthvian begin walking up the stairs to the family wing as Surreal begins to descend the stairs with Shai and Tara in tow.

"Surreal!!" squealed both girls. "Uncle Daemon, why are you wearing a dress?" asked Luthvian. "And why are there two of you?" asked Katarin.

"We are not your Uncle Daemon. I am your Aunt Tara, and she is your Aunt Shai. We just look a lot like your Uncle Daemon. And who are you two?"

"I'm Luthvian," snapped the older of the two while she stepped away from them a little.

"I'm Katarin, so why are there two of you?"

"We're twins," said Shai. After that she continued down the stairs and around the girls. When she reached the ground floor she headed straight for the bar.

"Damn…girls why don't you head on up to bed. I need to talk to someone." After saying that she followed after Shai, arriving just in time to hear her berating the bartender about how to fix her drink.

"I want three fingers of Gravedigger with a couple of ice cubes, some mint leaves and a little bit of lime on the side, with a stirrer. Is that so difficult?"

"No ma'am. Let me go get some Gravedigger from the basement."

"While you are there why don't you bring up a couple of bottles I'm going to be needing them tonight."

"As you wish."

"For the sake of Darkness, Shai. You know better than to try getting rip roaring drunk right before you have to fight."

"And you forget who makes Gravedigger. And where it comes from."

"I haven't forgotten, I just chose to neglect that from this conversation. Why are you trying to get drunk tonight?"

"You basically told me I had to come but you of all people should know better that the only way I do this social thing is when I am no where near sober."

"And why is that Shai?" asked Jaenelle from behind both of them causing them both to turn around slowly.

"You know damn well why."

"Shai, be reasonable. These people have no reason to trust you other than you claim to serve Jaenelle in the capacity of her Protectorate. You have to give them the chance to gain and give that trust."

"And how do you propose I trust all these men? Tell me that Tara. Tell me how, after over a century and a half of sexual abuse by men and women, I am to be able to trust them enough for them to truly protect my Queen to my satisfaction. And that I am supposed to trust them with may possibly be my life in the future. You know what is coming. All the Queens here know what is coming, at least those in Jaenelle's First Circle do. And certainly all the Black Widows here do all they have to do is weave a tangled web. What is coming is so significant that nothing is going to be unaffected by it."

"And what is coming Shaitara?" asked Saetan.

"I'm Shai. Shaitara is when we are combined. And if you must know a war is coming. Another war between the Realms and the power available here in Kaeleer is not going to be enough to stop it."

"Jaenelle is there any way for you to stop this war like you did the last?"

Jaenelle, Tara, and Shai all say at the exact same time, "No."

"Me first," said Shai. After getting the assent of Jaenelle and Tara she continued. "Jaenelle was the correct weapon for the first war because everyone knew that war was coming, both Terreille AND Kaeleer. This time Terreille knows but only those within this hall have enough power to see it coming this time. This is a hidden war and as such it needs a hidden power to defeat it. No offense, my dear but you are still a little too public to be considered a hidden power even if you were able to regain your past power."

"No," said Jaenelle. "I will not allow this."

"You do not have the power to stop me. Not even Daemon, Tara and father could stop me. You know that. Once you could have stopped me but you chose a different path."

"Wait a minute. What are you two talking about?" asked Saetan.

"Father, think about it. If three Black Jewels can't stop me what Jewel do I wear?"

"Ebony. A single Ebony. But I thought that Jaenelle was the first to wear that Jewel."

"She was, I have never been able to wear my Jewel. I just have the depth of power of Ebony. Also, if you have never heard of me outside of a professional capacity that means Hekatah hasn't either. Which means that I can get close enough to slaughter the bitch once and for all."

"Wait I thought I had killed her along with Dorothea last time."

"You killed her body…again. But there is another way to ride out a psychic storm like the one you created."

"Jumping from one body to another forcing the previous inhabitants out to die."

"Yep, I'm thinking it took around 16 people who had to die until she had ridden out enough of the storm to be found worthy of living. The thing is even doing that will not obscure your psychic scent, for me at least. Another advantage of being a Sovereign Black Widow. She can't hide from me. But she can from all of you. But regardless of whether or not I can find her we don't have the power to kill her and all her new minions, fewer this time to be sure but still enough to be a problem."

"Wait a minute, rewind for me," asked Lucivar who had recently joined the conversation along with the vast majority of the First Circle. "Just who did she jump into? I mean you talk about her as if she is corrupting society again."

"She is. And I don't know who she is now exactly but I do know that the body is NOT female," Shai said with and evil grin, kind of like a cat eyeing it prey. "She is starting to promote the male side of things again. Anyway, I need another drink."

"Shai, don't you think you have had enough?" asked Tara. "I mean three fingers should be plenty for you to go through this evening."

"You want me to stay or not?" was all she said before she turned back to Holt who was cowering behind the bar.

"Ma'am can I get you another Gravedigger's Mojito?"

"Why yes I do believe you can, sir. Thank you."

"Since you are so obviously not listening to me anymore, Shai, I think I will ask my father to dance with me. Saetan? Shall we?"

"Of course, Lady…daughter…Tara? What should I call you?"

"Tara, please." After they had been dancing for a while Saetan began talking again.

"So is she always like that?"

"No, normally she's much better but I shouldn't have expected that with all these men around."

"Why not?"

"You know how Lucivar and Daemon were pleasure slaves?" She waited until he nodded, "So was she, back then I wasn't able to take the form of a separate body. And as such, she was normally the one inhabiting and in control of what we did. Only when there was fighting to do, did I come to the forefront."

"The reason for this being?"

"She is the dominant twin because she spent more time in the womb with Daemon and not Lucivar. Anyway, I think I should go check on her again."

"Very well, Tara. Our discussion has given me much to think about and hopefully I will be able to assuage the situation created by Dorothea and my ex-wife. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy your stay here as well as the chance to get to know both of your brothers."

"Thank you for the dance, father," she said before she walked in the direction of where Jaenelle and Shai were holding court with the rest of the First Circle sitting or standing around them. As Tara approached she heard a few snippets of conversation before she sensed the slimy psychic scent that had just arrived.

**Shai? You sense it?**

**Of course, you oaf. I'm not stupid.**

**Well you have been drinking a lot tonight.**

**No need to get snippy. Gravedigger is a creation of mine, made from a dilution of one of my poisons. I just like the taste of it, but it doesn't affect me as if it were alcohol because it is part of me.**

Tara snarled at her. **You could have told me that. I have been worrying about you all evening.**

**You could have asked.**

"Well if you weren't being such a bitch tonight I might have."

"Bitch am I? What of you, Lady? What do you think all those people you killed thought about you? Hmm?"

"Shut up, Princess."

"Both of you shut up and step away from the pale bitch sitting next to you," said an unknown male voice from behind the Tara. This caused Shai to stand up and walk around to stand next to Tara blocking the man from reaching Jaenelle.

"You are going to have to go through us first," said Tara as she tied the front flaps of her dress back revealing a pair of swords hanging from her hips and a pair of leggings that went down to her knees, roughly sewn off as though done in a hurry. She drew the swords and began advancing on the Warlord who was threatening her Queen. Meanwhile Shai is shimmying her skirt up until she has full movement of her legs at which point she runs towards Tara and grabs one of her wings which then flips her upwards as she bends from her knees and pushes as well. With that much momentum behind her, Shai flips over the attacker and lands on her heeled feet behind him. He glances at her but seeing that she had no weapon he turns back to Tara who is now spinning her swords around and advancing toward him forcing him to give ground, and pushing him towards Shai, who has now taken a fighting stance, one that is completely different from the one she used before. It appears to be one used when fighting in hand-to-hand combat. When he gets within three feet of her she kicks one leg up into the air missing him entirely, but forcing her other leg to perform a drop kick on him. As he propels forwards to meet her blades, Tara sheathes both swords again and merely steps out of his way as he lands on his feet. Shai runs towards him and as she reaches him she reaches up and punctures his temples with her middle fingernails while saying, "Fuck you, bastard." She then removes her fingernails and pushes her dress back down as she calmly walks over and again resumes her seat.

"Hey, bitch, I still want the pale one sitting next to you."

"And guess what, honeydick, I didn't stab you in the temples for nothing. It just so happens that in about a minute the witchblood I injected in your system will begin to take effect and by the time you are writhing on the floor begging for release, I will give you release rather than let you end up in the hands of my father, the High Lord of Hell. Fair?"

"You BITCH!!!" he screamed. As he began to try running to kill her, his feet fell out from under him and his legs turned into limp noodles. Suddenly he curled into a tiny ball as if that might relieve the fire that was now racing along his veins now.

"Please," he whimpered.

"No, you haven't suffered enough just yet. Who do you serve?"

"mm…mer…mercenary…"

"Ahh. Well then I have no further use for you." She then closed her eyes and slipped within his inner barriers and ignited his mind like a little candle. When she reopened them she saw that his head had literally become the one light within the whole of the Hall.

"Oops. Sorry, here we go, light." The lights blared with renewed power stronger than that which had created them before.

"Hey Tara, I'm heading up to bed, come back when you are done socializing with them."

"Will do. Hey you got anything stronger than Gravedigger on you?"

"Yep, want some?"

"Hell yeah."

"You got a glass?"

"Here you go," said Tara as she created a glass with her Jewels.

"Alright," said Shai as she took the glass in her left hand and flicked out the snake's tooth beneath her right hand pointer finger. She put three drops in the glass. "Hey, Holt?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Could I have some soda water, please?"

"Of course, here you are."

Shai took the bottle of soda water and poured about a finger of it into the glass with the drops from her venom sac. She then handed it to Tara who took it tasted it and made a face.

"You asked for something stronger," Shai pointed out.

"You're right, but I think I want it a little weaker still and some ice."

"Yeah I thought you might think it was too strong, to make the Gravediggers I use one drop and a lot more water, though I use still water for that."

"Wait, so you are telling me that Gravedigger is made from your poison?" asked Daemon.

"Yes…why?"

"Well I owe you for a night from Hell itself."

"Have you ever been there?"

"Huh?"

"Have you ever been to Hell?"

"No…but…"

"Then how do you know what the nights there are like?"

"That was an expression, sister."

"Really? Then you think you can take me, right?"

"No…it just made me feel better to say it out loud."

"Well, while I want to make you feel better, using me as a scapegoat is not advisable, especially by threatening me. Just giving you fair warning."

"Well….now that we are clear…" he trailed off as he saw the look he was receiving from Shai.

"Shai, I think you are singeing the hairs on his balls. Give him a bit of a break, he's new," whispered Tara.

"Fine. I'll see you all tomorrow at practice in the morning. Good night," she said before she walked off to her bed chamber.

"You people certainly have a knack of pissing her off. Then again most of you have a cock and balls so that is not too surprising. Lucivar, could I speak with you outside please?" she asked before she walked off holding her drink without waiting to receive an answer from him. He sighed and trailed after her.


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5_

"You do know that she would never really hurt any of her blood relatives, right?" Tara asked after several long minutes of wandering outside in silence.

"Umm….not really. So far, she has given me no reason to trust her."

"Do you trust me to not harm them?"

"To a higher degree yes, I mean you are Eyrien and Saetan trusts you."

"You mean he doesn't trust her?"

"Not that I can tell. But I haven't really asked him about it."

"Well then, maybe I should give you a chance to learn to trust Shai," she mused to herself. All of a sudden she grabbed his hand and physically dragged him back to the Hall, surprising him with how much strength she possessed.

"First step, I have to get absolutely positively drunk….

Later that night, "Tara is that you?" whispered Shai.

"Aye," shouted Tara.

"Why are you shouting? There are children sleeping nearby, we should try to be quiet," Shai whispered. Suddenly a winged shape flung itself on top of her pinning her to the bed. The form then kissed her very softly, gently coaxing her mouth open. When she began to respond, her tongue slipped into the form's mouth to entwine and to create the passion she was taught to ignite.

'Wait! This tastes like alcohol…and it's my sister!' Shai thought as she sensed the psychic scent from the form.

"Tara," she moaned. "Tara!" she shouted as the form tried to kiss her again. "No. You're drunk, you know I don't swing that way, even for you."

"I want to join with you…please," Tara begged.

"Fine, but let me." Before Tara could try to kiss her again she forced her to melt into nonexistence again. Unfortunately this also forced her to get the after effects of being drunk.

"Great," she whispered, causing herself to cringe because it sounded like shouting and felt like it was going to rip apart her skull. She got up slowly and headed for the kitchen.

Upon arriving she proceeded to bake herself to sobriety. As the sun was just beginning to rise from beneath the edge of the land, Mrs. Beale appeared. As she was rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she saw what was laid out on the table and counters. Her jaw dropped just as Shaitara turned around because the door had squealed slightly causing her to wince.

"Why…when…how…why…" sputtered Mrs. Beale.

"Because there was no way in Hell I was going to able to sleep with the amount my sister drank and then chose to gift me with last night. I suppose I owe Lucivar for this…" she whispered. "Doesn't matter why really, I just did." She continued as she headed for the coffee which was sitting over a tiny tongue of witchfire. "Feel free to take the morning off, breakfast is prepared and won't be getting cold anytime soon. I imagine your husband would appreciate a nice morning like this given the correct incentive," she suggested quietly before she strode out the door leading to the practice yards.

Mrs. Beale just sat there for a few seconds before comprehension came to her, with a slow seductive grin she arose and turned to head back to where her husband was laying in his usual sleeping attire…nothing.

Three hours later, Lucivar left the kitchen with a mug of coffee heading towards the practice grounds only to find that for once he was not the first one there. He saw a slender figure just standing there looking at him as if he had interrupted a practice session. As he approached he saw that apparently he had because Shaitara was standing there in a breast band, and short skin tight pants which had been hacked off at just above the knee, sweating slightly.

"Good morning," he said politely.

"Only for those of us who slept," she snapped.

He frowned, he thought Tara had said that Shai would be more agreeable in the morning if he could only coax enough drink into Tara. "What's got you in such a snit this morning?"

"Let's see," she began as she also began her warm-up again. "Someone, who shall remain nameless for the time being, got Tara drunk last night and being the sister she is she came back to our room last night and remelded with me and now I get the glorious aftereffects of being drunk without the joy of the inebriation period," she said with increasing volume until she shouted the last five words along with a flourish finishing her warm-up.

"Ah, you look like you are warmed up, would you like to have a go with me? I have to be warm before the rest show up."

"No, thank you," she said as she began to leave the circle.

"Please?"

"Oh, alright, I owe you for getting Tara drunk anyway," she quipped. "One or two sticks?"

"You can fight with two? I didn't know that was a method that was taught amongst Eyriens."

"It's not. The question still stands, brother, please answer it."

"I only know how to fight with one, though I would like to learn how to fight with two at some point, if you are willing to teach me."

"Maybe if you prove to have enough skill with one stick," she said before she tossed him one of her sticks.

They took their stances and as he began to advance she completed some move so fast he opened his eyes to blue sky as he was falling back to meet the ground.

"You have to do better than that if you want to learn how to dual wield."

As he was groaning his way back to vertical, the rest of the First Circle and their children were beginning to show up for practice. Neither he or Shaitara saw this, they took stances again. This time they just kept going through the movements of stance after stance. Blooming Lotus…Blade cleaving water…Crane flying south…they just kept attacking and defending. Once all of the First Circle and most of the Second Circle as well as all of the children in the court had arrived and had been watching them for around half an hour Lucivar saw them out of the corner of his eye. 'An opening!' thought Shaitara. She spun a fake, reversed once he had set himself to take the blow and swiped his feet out from under him, his stick flying . She swiftly moved to pin him there.

Suddenly a roar of applause erupted from behind her, causing a smile to creep onto her half-brother's face and a look of terror on hers.

"What? You thought the rest wouldn't begin to show up for several hours yet?"

"Yes," was all she said before she got up off him and began to gather her sticks and head back to her room to clean up for the day, and maybe take a nap.

"Where do you think you are going, witchling?" enquired a very stupid male, also known as Lucivar.

"Where do you think I'm going, to clean up. Since I can put you in the dirt, and I have already had my workout for the day," she continued while plucking at her breast band to illustrate her point, "I don't believe I need to stay here any longer."

"But, I want to know how you did that," said a young female voice from behind her. She turned around to see a young Dea al Mon Queen Black Widow approaching her.

"And who might you be, Lady?"

"Titianna," came the reply resulting in a growl from a middle-age looking Warlord Prince.

"Prince, calm yourself. She has committed herself, foolish though it may be at this time. I give you my word I will not harm any of those that Jaenelle loves."

She could feel the tension leave all of the males. She spun around, "Did you all trust me so little that you risked her life?" she shouted at them.

"Fine. You trust me that much, lets see how you react when I teach all of your daughters all that I know."

"Daughter, wait," came the voice that had guided her through so much of her horrible childhood. Once she had paused he continued, "What of the boyos?"

"They must earn my trust before I will even consider teaching them. All men are the same, cruel sex crazed creatures. That includes you, Father."

Suddenly there was a whooshing sound and a second form identical to Shaitara's except for a pair of wings, was standing next to her with growing solidity. Once it was entirely solid, Shai swayed where she was standing.

"I thought you wanted them all to be prepared for this war, Shai."

"I do but the men must prove themselves first."

"How is that remotely fair?"

After careful consideration Shai responded, "You're right, its not. Still it's the way I feel."

"If I vouched for them Shai would you teach the males, as well as all of my court?" came the voice of the one being who was able to ground her.

"Yes," came the simple reply. Then Shai turned to Tara and said "I'm going to need you to come back here if I am to accomplish this."

"Very well." Then she vanished into a mist which was then absorbed back into Shaitara's body.

After her senses returned to normal, Shaitara turned to those around her, and more particularly to Jaenelle. "Is all your court on the premises ma'am?"

"No, the kindred are elsewhere."

All the acknowledgement this produced in Shaitara was a grunt. Then she closed her eyes and compacted all the fighting, Craft, and basic survival knowledge she had into a little bundle which she then sent in a vast blanket all over the Realm of Kaeleer.

Around the silent form of Shaitara, all those who wore a Gray Jewel or Darker felt a familiar blanket of Dark power much like that Jaenelle used to wield. It was just as suddenly reabsorbed giving Shaitara a jolt which caused her to land on her butt in the center of the practice ring. She got up slowly rubbing her behind and began to leave to ring for the comforts of the kitchen and her room.

"And where do you think…" began Lucivar as understanding suddenly began to fill his mind of how his half-sister thought, and why. "Oh, Shai, why didn't you tell us?" was all he asked causing her to explode rather violently into tears and blow up several of the trees nearby before she turned tail and sprinted back to the Hall built by her father.


	6. Chapter 6

_Hey Guys! Sorry for this being so late. I just couldn't get the ending of this chapter how I wanted it to be. Its still not great but its better than it was. I do have the ideas for the next couple of chapters floating around in my head I just have to get them down on paper._

_Also, I have reread and adjusted all of the previous chapters. Nothing important was changed so you don't have to reread them if you don't have the time._

_As always, I would appreciate any reviews that you can give me.  
_

* * *

_Chapter 6_

"Lucivar! Why did you have to do that?" shouted Jaenelle.

"Do what?"

"Act as if you knew why she is the way that she is?"

"I'm not supposed to?"

"No! How would you feel if someone did that to you?"

"Grateful I should expect."

"No you would feel as if someone were being condescending and treating you as if you were not capable of defending yourself."

"Maybe, but…"

"No, no maybe. That is how you would feel! It is how I felt when all of you were trying to help me get back on my feet after I came back from healing. Now stop it! She made herself vulnerable to us and you took advantage of that. Go and apologize," Jaenelle shouted. When Lucivar just stood there with no apparent wish to follow her suggestion she continued, "That was not a suggestion, Prince," came the sepulchral command.

"As you command, Lady." Lucivar then turned around and walked steadily toward the Hall. As he reached the wing which contained Shaitara's suite, he encountered an Eyrien figure blocking all light causing its face to be in shadow.

"Please step aside I need to speak with Shaitara." Upon this announcement the figure snapped its wings shut, revealing Tara armed with two Eyrien sticks and dressed in a similar outfit to that of Shaitara when she was first seen.

"No."

"Move or I will fight you."

"Then you will die."

"How can you say that? I'm family."

"I have not known you until yesterday. Shai, I have known my entire life."

"So you choose her over what is right? Over letting me apologize to her? How can you do that to her?"

"How could you treat her as if she was a pitiable creature? As if the best you could do for her was to treat her as if you were above her and could only offer your condolences?"

"I never…"

"You did, when she gave you the gift of her knowledge! There was no way that she could have prevented sharing part of who she is when she was gifting all those in Jaenelle's court with her combat knowledge because it is most of what she knows. So tell me this, how would you feel if I did the same to you regarding your time as a pleasure slave?" enquired Tara.

Lucivar just stood there with his mouth flapping like a fish's.

"Told you. No. Please, give her some time she will be down before the end of the day even if I have to carry her down myself." After finishing that proclamation Tara turned around and started walking down the hallway and turned into the room she and Shai shared. Lucivar attempted to follow but nearly immediately ran into a Black shield.

**I told you to leave her alone. But did you listen, no. She will be down shortly to the entrance hall. Be there or have her hunt you.**

For the first time in perhaps his entire life, turned tail and ran to the entrance hall. When he skidded to a halt in front of the newly reassembled First Circle and their children, he merely stood there for about a minute looking at them.

"Lucivar? What is the…" trailed off Marian as she saw the imposing figure of Shaitara descending the stairs from the family wing.

"Mother Night," swore Surreal.

"Lucivar, what have you done?" enquired Jaenelle.

"He has chosen. I wish all of you to hear this. I did not gift you with my knowledge so as to gain pity from anyone," crooned Shaitara. "I wish to continue as just another warrior in this Court. Understood?"

As she finished asking Saetan took a step forward and suddenly fell down with a crossbow bolt protruding from his shoulder.

"Jaenelle, DOWN!" screamed Shaitara. "Daemon, kill him!" she continued as she pointed at the assassin standing outside the window reloading his crossbow.

When Daemon heard this he slithered inside the poor man's mind and turned it to smoldering ash. He turned around to see Shaitara already knelt beside their father trying to keep him conscious.

"Father?"

"Yes…"

"I need you to relax and not fight me on this." When he nodded she removed the bolt with her hands and then placed them over the wound like she had when she was healing Daemon. "Do you have any other injuries that I don't know about, Father?"

Saetan merely looked at her. To which she replied "I see. Jaenelle, I am going to need to call in my Jewels to heal him."

"I'll heal you afterwards," was all she replied with.

"Thank you," Shaitara said before she closed her eyes and called in her Jewel of Rank. Saetan flinched when he saw the Jewel merely appear in her hand unset and felt the depth of power contained therein.

Shaitara began grimacing the moment the Ebony came into existence. She then placed her hands over his wound gripping her Jewel. As the First Circle looked on Saetan's wound began to glow and Shaitara began to grimace more and more. As the bolt wound began to disappear, Shaitara began to bite her lip, drawing blood.

As Saetan felt the bolt wound heal he began to feel a finger growing back where Hekatah had removed his little finger. He raised his hand and watched as a black nailed finger grew in size until it appeared that it had never been missing. By this point Shaitara had tears coursing down her face and sobs escaping her mouth.

Saetan then felt the damage from the Ring of Obedience being reversed. When the damage was mostly fixed, Shaitara began screaming as though in intense pain. However, she continued to heal Saetan because had she stopped all of the damage that she had reversed would have become irreversibly permanent and Saetan would have had to become demon dead in order to survive.

Suddenly, Saetan felt as he had during the height of Jaenelle's reign, completely whole and healthy. Just as he felt this, he saw Shaitara curl up into a fetal position clutching her stomach and slide her Jewel to Jaenelle who caught it with her handkerchief. Jaenelle then handed the covered Jewel to Daemon who vanished it. She next walked slowly over to Shaitara where she was still laying on the floor.

"Shai? Where does it hurt?" she enquired.

"W…wo…womb…Ring of…Obedience keyed to…ahh…Jewels around…womb."

"From Dorothea?" All Shaitara could do was nod through the pain. "Very well, I think I can remove it without having to heal you at all. Just like ribbons through wood…" Jaenelle reached out her hand and passed it into Shaitara's abdomen much like she had done to Saetan when she came back from the Abyss after being raped. A few seconds later she pulled her hand out holding a large golden ring that shrank into non-existence. As Jaenelle pulled out her hand, Shaitara passed out.

"Damn. Gabrielle, could you please come see if she needs healing?"

"Of course," a few seconds pass while Gabrielle checks through Shaitara's body for anything wrong with it. "Doesn't look like anything other than over exertion, extreme exhaustion and pain. Just let her sleep it off, she should wake up in the next day or so."

"Thank you. Khardeen, could you carry her up to her room? As for the rest of you, do not mention this to her. She probably won't remember any of it. Now, Papa, are you alright?"

"Yes. She completely healed me. I don't know how she did that as even you wouldn't have been able to replace the finger that Hekatah sent to you."

"She is a Sovereign Black Widow. She can only heal completely and as such has the ability to replace lost appendages. Now, as you are alright I need to go ensure that she is." After finishing this, she walked up to the Family wing while Saetan just watched her from his seat on the floor.

"What happened?" Saetan asked from the floor.

"You don't want to know, Uncle Saetan. You don't want to know."


End file.
